VeteranHope
VeteranHOPE is about helping military and veteran families deal with predatory fraud and discrimination in our court systems.
We all have to cope with the change of income and lifestyle after military service. For those with disability, this can be especially difficult. The rate of divorce among veterans is about twice the national average. This is often because of the emotional stress, caused by financial stress, because of disability.
We go from steady work and regular paychecks with resources and comprehensive health care for the whole family, to nothing, overnight. Transition is not real until it happens. No matter how well prepared we are, it is still a shock to the family unit.
Most of us come home and go straight to work, regardless of disability from service. We do not realize how bad a small thing can become until it interferes with our new jobs. We keep trying to cover all the basic needs for housing, food, health care and things our families are accustomed to.
That is ideal in a perfect world, but not reality for veterans with disability. There is no easy way to say it. Life has changed and it will be harder. Disability is not a free ride and it is not fun. It does not matter how much or how little it may seem on any given day. Disability makes the things we all take for granted a lot harder. Nobody wants to be disabled or stuck on a fixed income. Even the most catastrophically disabled veterans I know would rather be totally independent and self-supporting. But, ... reality bites.
It is the big red flag telling the state court that this individual with disability has certain Rights which the states cannot ignore. VA and SSA benefits are totally exempt from state jurisdiction, so they cannot be used to calculate support orders or offset property.
It is easy to get caught up in the struggle to make ends meet and forget to do our VA claims for medical issues left over from the military. Waiting until things get really bad only hurts ourselves and our families. Financial problems from disability is one of the leading causes of divorce among veteran families.
One thing we all learn is that when you put something off too long, it will come back and bite you in the butt. VA claims are like that.
Some of us with VeteranHOPE have been down the path of VA claims, divorce, homelessness, VA appeals, workers compensation, disability insurance, receiving benefits, being garnished illegally, VA claims again, appeals again, homelessness again. There is not enough room on the shirt for everything we have been through. Up until now, there was nothing we could do about it.
VeteranHOPE is about turning that around and bringing back hope by standing up for military and veteran families. No matter what garbage is dumped on us, we have already seen the worst and survived. Together, we can stop the discrimination and solve the problems that are damaging our families and our country.
We can make things better because we know how to stand up for those who need help. We know how to hold a line against all odds. We know how to protect others and that is what "support and defend family and country" is all about.
Articles
"Child Support and The Disabled" was published in 2012 and updated in 2019 for web release. It is a report on the Effect of Disability Discrimination on the Support of Veteran Families in Washington State. The idea was to help military and veteran families by asking our court officials to follow due process of law to protect the rights established by federal law.
"Child Support and The Absurd Mythology of Rose" is a fact based study of the Rose v. Rose case and how Congress changed the law to make it absolutely clear that veteran benefits are exempt from state jurisdiction. The problem is that corrupt lawyers, officials and judges act as parasites and predators to strip veterans of benefits by committing fraud and profiteering. The system is rigged to destroy families for profit and to ruin the lives of veterans, which is a huge driving force in suicide.
The important thing to remember is that we all have a duty to learn a few things to protect our families and our country from corrupt attorneys, officials and judges. Nobody else will do it for us.
Attorneys will not lift a finger unless they are making money or losing it because they are creatures of profit. Judges are not going to admit the lack of jurisdiction because that will expose the whole predatory system. They will not help us until it is profitable or expensive.